We often do them, but because of them we lose other values
“The past is over, the present is fleeting, we live in the future.” This statement by the American futurologist Ray Kurzweil is another way of saying that the future depends on the present and we should invest in tomorrow today. Investing in success can be something you never thought about, like giving up some things. It is surprising – what could cause the sacrifice of some givens that we take for granted? We will tell you.
Side income
You can add a serious amount to your salary by doing some extra tasks, taking on more side hustles – a source of decent income above the usual amount you rely on. Isn’t it wonderful? It actually isn’t because you can feel fulfilled and have a sense of having a meaningful life if you are dedicated to your core business. Everything outside of it takes up your time, you are torn about how to combine everything so that the work is done on time.
Personal experience: whenever I take it upon myself to edit a book or even just a few texts outside of my main professional duties, I lose sleep and strain to get everything done accurately and on time. It doesn’t work. These good opportunities turn out to be not so good because they don’t help me achieve my main goal, they get in the way of the really big things.
Full employment
People like to be busy – they fill their daily schedules with meetings, conference calls, important calls, urgent projects. “How are you?” “Oh, I’m in a hurry, I’m so busy!” “Run then!” But is this repetitive scenario helpful?
A calendar full of events doesn’t mean you’re following the path to the top, it just means you’re constantly running back and forth. When a person is terribly busy, all their actions are semi-chaotic, poorly thought out, a bit on autopilot, and so weeks, months and years pass that will not return. Then they will will notice that all the time they have been revolving in a circle around the center of things. They could only hit that center if they aimed at it, if they focused on the main thing.
The road to happiness
For most people, the pursuit of happiness is among the main themes of life. This feeling is perceived as some mythical deity in whose name we must make sacrifices. Seeking chimerical happiness, one loses solid ground under their feet and ends up unhappy.
What would happen if you sacrificed all the empty phraseology around it and listened to the philosophers that this concept is too overrated, short-lived and not fully clear? Instead of looking for it, feeling unsatisfied and wallowing in guesses about what happiness is in general, it is better to focus on your personal development, on how to better realize yourself and gain experience and wisdom. This is the way to satisfaction and, perhaps, happiness?
